Check holding and notching device



Nov. 10, 1964 c. E. HlcKs ETAL cHEcx HOLDING AND NDTCHING DEvIcE FiledJuly l. 1965 INVENTORS CLINTONE. HICKS 8l JOHN W. ZUNDT ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent O 3,156,393 CHECK HOLDING AND NO'ICHING DEVICE Clinton E.Hicks, Cherry Hill, NJ., and John W. Zundt, Ardmore, Pa., assignors toGlobe Ticket Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaFiled July 1, 1963, Ser. No. 292,011 1 Claim. (Cl. 22S-89) 'Ihisinvention relates to a check holding and notching device.

Checks in the form of slips or tickets bearing indicia are widely usedwhere fares, fees or tolls are collected, the use being particularlywidespread in the transportation and amusement field. Frequently theissuer of the check wishes to make a notch or opening adjacent aparticular indicia to indicate for use at a later time informationrelative to the person to whom the check is issued. Typically theinformation thus indicated might be the destination for which a travelerhas paid his fare or the fare zone in which the traveler entered aconveyance. Restaurants employ such systems, for example, to permit thewaitress to indicate the amount which should be paid to the cashier. Thewide use of such check systems is well known and hence need not befurther detailed here.

The check holding and notching device of this invention is of particularvalue where the check issuer must be able to issue the check using onlyone hand. It is ideal for example, for a bus driver since it can bepermanently mounted. With one hand the check issuer can adjust thedevice so that it will notch at the proper place and then remove thecheck properly notched.

The check holding and notching device of the invention is furtheradvantageous in that it is not complex in construction and isinexpensive to produce.

The invention and its objects will be further clariiied by a reading ofthe following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation partially broken away of a check holdingand notching device in accordance with the invention showing the devicepermanently mounted;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is :a plan view partially broken away of the device of FIGURE 1taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2 andillustrating how a check is engaged by lingers so that it can beremoved;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of an alternative check for use in thedevice of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a further alternative check for use inthe device of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, a check holding and notching device 2in accordance with the invention has a plate 4 which may, for example,be a metal and which forms a check support. Plate 4 is provided withopening 6 for the accommodation of machine screw 8 by which the device 2is secured to a standard indicated at 10 which might, for example, beinstalled in a bus on the right hand side of the driver.

Plate 4 is provided with a pair of upstanding posts 12 which aresquarely in cross section and are secured to plate 4, for example, bywelding with each post positioned to have an inwardly facing corner 14.A pluality of checks 16 are stacked on plate 4 with each check 16 beingprovided with a notched opening 18 for the accommodation of each post 12to thereby removably secure the checks to plate 4. Each check is markedoff into a plurality of zones 19, each zone carrying appropriateprinting 20 of indicators to indicate a different destination.

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A stop 22 is str-uck up from plate 4 and has an outwardly turned cornerportion indicated at 24.

A spring biased clamp 26 has a pair of levers 28 `and 30 which arepivotally secured to a pin 32. A torsion spring 34 encompasses pin 32and has a terminal arm 36 abutting against the interior of lever 30 anda terminal arm 38 which abuts against the interior of lever 2S. Lever3i) has a jaw portion 39 for engaging the bottom surface of plate 4while lever 28 has a jaw portion 40 for engaging the stacked checks 16.Jaw portion 4i) has sharpened edges 41 and 42 where it overlies thestacked checks 16 and is provided with a V- shaped end 43. Portion 44 oflever 30 and portion 45 of lever 28 are adapted to be engaged by theusers fingers to move the jaw portions 39 and 40 apart against the forceof spring 34.

A chain 46 has a terminal link 48 bolted to lever 3d as indicated at 50.A reduced neck portion 52 of lever 30 restrains link 54. A terminal link56 at the other end of chain 46 is clamped to an opening 58 in portion24 of stop 22.

It will be noted that checks 16 overlie the upper edge 62 of plate 4.

Operation In operation with the clamp 26 removed, a stack of checks 16are placed on plate 4 with openings 18 accommodating the posts 12. Thecheck issuer then spreads jaws 39 and 40 by pressing on portions 44 :and45 of levers 28 and 3) placing jaw 39 below plate 4 and jaw 40 over thezone 19 of the upper most check which he wishes to notch. The clamp isthen released and with the same hand the uppermost check is engaged bythe index linger indicated at 64 and the thumb indicated at 66. Thedownward pressure of the index finger 64 causes the check to bowoutwardly due to the stop action provided by stop 22. As the uppermostcheck 16 is pulled outwardly, it tears against the sharpened edges 41and 42 of jaw portion 40 making a notch in the check at the oppositelydesignated place which may, for example, indicate the place ofdebarkation from a vehicle.

In order to issue the next check, the operator with the same hand canreadily pull off another check if the destination of the next person isthe same or, if it is not, readily replace clamp 26 with the same handto the zone desired for the next person.

An alternative form of check is shown in FIGURE 4 wherein a check 68 issimilar in all respects to check 16 but is provided with marked zonesindicated at 72 `containing printed destination zones indicated at 74. A

typical notch 76 provided by the device of FIGURE 1 is illustrated.

Similarly, check 7S (FIGURE 5) similar in all respect: to check 16, isprovided with marked zones 80 containing printing monetary amountsindicated at 82. Such checks can be used, for example, to show an amountof money which is due, for example, for merchandise purchased What isclaimed is:

In combination, a plurality of substantially rectangulal stackedstubless checks each having a pair of oppose(I openings respectively inthe opposite long sides thereoi adjacent one end, said checks havingprinted indicator: thereon and la check holding and notching device comprising a substantially rectangular member having a real face and afront face supporting said checks, a pair o: retaining members securedto said support member an( respectively passing through the openings insaid check*` to releasably retain the checks on the support member aclamp having a pair of opposed jaws and adapted t( engage along a longside thereof the rear face of tht check support member and the checksrespectively, z

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 852,871 5/07 Cohn129-18 Rousseau 22S- 30 Just 24--253 X Kaech 22S-31 X Feddern 20G- 40.5

Snow 22S-27 MacDonald 225-31 X MacDonald 225-30 X 10 ANDREW R. JOHASZ,Primary Examiner.

